Spring has arrived. It seems like it only took a couple of warm days to make the buds on the cherry tree in our garden pop open. They are lovely and pink, and the bees are having the best time flitting from flower to flower—perhaps their first “meal” after waking from their winter nap. After a couple of gloriously sunny, warm spring days, we snapped back to reality with cold, windy overcast days. Dare I say it will rain in a few days, or that we will even have another frost? This time of year also carries our family through Birthday Season and Lent, and Easter is now on our doorstep. Easter, the holiday Jesus-followers celebrate and remember Jesus’ sacrifice of love for us.

The season of Lent and Easter feels like the awkward dance between winter and spring. Flowers such as snowdrops and daffodils are in bloom, and the days have more sunlight. We got a little tease from spring at the beginning of March when temperatures got up to 16°C one weekend. Yet winter’s icy grip carries the reminder that it isn’t spring yet. Winter still brings us snow and frost during the transition. The transition reminds us, though, that God still moves. In C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the Pevensie children stumble into the world of Narnia, where it is always winter and never Christmas. As time passed, though, they saw the snow melting. The White Witch’s cruel power over Narnia weakened as winter turned into spring, and the children heard that “Aslan is on the move.” The news filled them with awe and wonder.

“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”
—C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

The Gospel of Jesus Christ also fills us with awe and wonder. It’s a similar awe and wonder to what Lucy, Peter and Susan felt in the home of the Beavers the first time they heard of Aslan. The Gospel is a familiar story to Christians. I’ve heard the story since I was a small child in a crib. I heard the story in my grandmother’s Sunday School class. Every year, I recall Jesus’ sacrifice on Good Friday, his death, and the joyous resurrection on Easter Sunday. This is the Good News, the Gospel—Jesus conquered death for our sins. We now don’t have to suffer in eternity but get to spend it with Him!

If you’ve experienced a deep loss, the story of the Gospel feels both heavy and freeing at the same time. It feels like that awkward dance between winter and spring. Feeling the weight of loss, you find comfort in Jesus’ sacrifice. On this side of eternity, you will still feel brokenness and frailty profoundly because of this deep loss. It’s a feeling our family knows too well. It was a few years ago that we were facing Lent and Easter in the face of our loss of our son. Titus’ death adds an extra dimension to Jesus’ sacrifice. We now have this awkward dance between winter and spring. We still feel our loss profoundly, but we also begin seeing how God is moving and have the confident hope that we will see our son with our Saviour in eternity one day. Without that hope, our grief leaves us in despair.

The season of winter is hard. It’s cold, dark and grey. Cold air freezes everything, and most living things lie dormant, giving the impression of death. In the middle of winter, there really isn’t anything to look forward to. Then, with spring’s arrival, the world starts to wake up. In the same way, Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection brings us back to life. For now, the winter is past; the rain has ended and gone away. The blossoms appear in the countryside. The time of singing has come.*

God is on the move, and yes, we shall have spring again. Jesus told us these things so that in Him we may have peace. We will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! He has conquered the world.* The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!*

Several years ago, we sent Titus off to surgery on his liver in Leeds. It was tough seeing him go to the operating theatre yet again. I was in tears. Our kind nurse, Donna, reminded me it wasn’t goodbye forever; just goodbye for now. That was a comfort. Several weeks later, we said goodbye to Titus as we buried him. The thing is—in light of eternity, that goodbye wasn’t forever. It’s just goodbye for now. Winter, no matter how long, is still temporary. Spring, and life, is coming. We only need to wait in expectation (often on our knees in prayer or raising our hands in worship) for God to move.

As a Jesus-follower, understanding eternal life is a lifelong pursuit. It gives me hope as I reflect on the losses I’ve experienced over the years. I miss Titus deeply, and not a day goes by that I don’t think about him. Knowing he’s with our Heavenly Father is comforting. Leon and I can say with King David that we will go to him, he will never return to us.* Knowing Christ died and rose to life so we can have eternal life is a comfort. It helps me keep breathing when grief tries to steal my joy.

We live in a broken world. We see sin and the consequences of sin every day. Death is the ultimate consequence of sin. All the pain, hurt, and trauma we experience happens because we live in a broken world. It’s not fair that we have to walk through such heartache and hardship. Grief is painful, and life is hard. It’s a consequence of living in a broken world. However, because Jesus died for us and rose again, we have the hope of Heaven. Compared to the eternal glory we’ll share with Jesus, our suffering will feel insignificant.

“They say of temporal suffering, ‘No future bliss can make up for it, not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory.’” —C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce

A conversation happening in home education circles right now is about the definition of education. It comes as UK Parliament attempts to pass a bill that will profoundly impact the way families across the country can home educate their children. Our parental duty is to provide suitable education; thus, we ask, “What is education?”

Governments the world over try to quantify a “suitable education.” (The amount of testing I’ve heard about both in the US and UK to assess the quality of education is staggering.) Except it isn’t black and white. There is a place for academics, of course, but excellence in academics isn’t the end goal: I believe it’s more of a by-product.

There is more to education than good grades and perfect attendance. If you know me personally, you know that the Victorian educator, Charlotte Mason, heavily influences our home education. Miss Mason’s twenty educational principles have inspired and helped many home educators, including myself. The goal of education is the formation of character. As a parent and teacher, we are to instil virtue in our children so they can discern what’s right and make the right choices. Miss Mason says this is achieved using the tools of atmosphere, discipline, and life. But what does that mean?

“A Person is a Person”

Dr. Suess famously said, “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” It is a line meant to illustrate how we need to treat everyone with the respect due them regardless of who they are. I know it’s a bit of a stretch to compare a line from Dr. Suess to Charlotte Mason, but she outlines something similar in her philosophy of education. One thing that first drew me to Miss Mason’s philosophy is her first principle that “children are born persons.” I loved that in order to raise and educate a child, a parent and teacher must look at each child holistically. We must keep their personality and all their natural tendencies in mind. Each child born has not just a physical presence in this world, but a spiritual one too, with thoughts and feelings, along with physical and emotional needs. Each child is also born with everything they need to learn about the world around them and has a mind and heart that needs to be fed and nurtured/discipled.

Because our children are born persons, it is our responsibility to provide an education that will teach our children how to choose what is right because they know it’s right. We must teach them how to live in an ordered world under authority and to fulfil their roles in this world. Education then becomes growing in character and teaching the conscience.

This is where Miss Mason’s 3 tools of education come in: the atmosphere, discipline, and life.

Education is an Atmosphere.

The atmosphere is more than just the building in which education takes place. It’s our daily rhythms; it’s our family values; it’s the tone we as parents and teachers set in our home. Also, education happens all the time, not at any set time during our week. We could experience this on Saturday at the allotment or the local supermarket.

After seven years of home educating, we finally have a pleasant rhythm to our days. It changes from time to time because it’s flexible, but it facilitates learning in our home. A daily rhythm helps set time aside for learning and exploring together.

I’ve written before about defining your family values. They’re important because they help inform what choices you make regarding your education and family life. A few years back, our family defined what our 3 family values are. This enabled us to explore our choices through the lens of our core values for our family.

Atmosphere is also what our children see modelled in us. If I don’t put my clean laundry away immediately, how can I expect my children to do likewise?

Education is a Discipline.

Discipline in education thoughtfully and purposefully helps children learn good habits, like truthfulness and attention. It is well known that it doesn’t take long for a bad habit to take hold if ignored for too long—and then we have to undo it. We as human beings instinctually like our habits, and we can intentionally form good habits or unintentionally form bad ones. Many of our family rhythms have become so because of the slow and steady practice of our habits. Habits also form a moral character in part. If my child is in the habit of telling the truth, they will be known for being such.

“As it has been well said, ‘ Sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character, sow a character reap a destiny.’ And a great function of the educator is to secure that acts shall be so regularly, purposefully, and methodically sown that the child shall reap the habits of the good life, in thinking and doing, with minimum of conscious effort.” —Charlotte Mason, Parents and Children

When thinking about what an education is, what is it you want your children to be known for as they get older? Their qualifications and academic prowess? Or for their character of truthfulness, kindness, responsibility, and patience? Without the latter, the former means nothing.

Education is a Life.

A well-rounded education is often compared to a feast. The big holiday in our family is Thanksgiving. Living in the UK, we invite many friends around for Thanksgiving dinner and request various “traditional” Thanksgiving dishes (we provide the turkey and mashed potatoes). The result is a feast beyond what any of us can digest on our own. There is something to tickle the tastebuds of everyone in attendance, although many don’t partake of every dish, nor does everything get finished. The variety provided in our Thanksgiving dinner means hungry friends will be nourished by what they need.

The same is for a well-rounded education. We as parent and teacher spread a feast of ideas before our children in a variety of subjects so our children can sample a little of everything. Not every subject will be to their taste or preference, but it is important to provide a variety so our children can take what they need. If we only fed our children turkey and potatoes because it’s what they like, it is not a balanced diet. The same goes for education: if a child only reads history books or graphic novels (not bad things in themselves), they’re exposed to limited ideas. Providing our children with an abundance and variety of ideas means we give them well-written books full of ideas to feed their minds.

One further thought on education being a life: In the 21st century, I believe ideas also come from experiences that fit in with your family values and educational goals. A visit to a science museum or living history museum are also ways to feed a child’s mind on ideas.

It is decidedly impossible to define education in the space of one post. In short, education involves the formation of character using the tools of atmosphere, discipline, and life. We set the tone for our children’s education; the thoughtful formation of habit builds character; a generous feast of ideas feeds the mind. I think it’s a beautiful way of life, one that myself and our children will carry on for many years to come. This kind of education is for everyone, not just your children. Even if you or your children aren’t in school, you can still fill your mind with good ideas and build healthy habits—because education is a life, after all.

How do you fill your downtime? I have this problem of feeling like I need to fill my downtime. I struggle with not having anything to do, even though I tell my children boredom is a good thing! Hobbies are usually a good place to start in finding something to do. These days, it’s knitting for me.

Why do we feel the need for an occupation to fill our downtime? Sometimes we’re afraid of being bored. Sometimes we avoid our thoughts because of the pain we might bring up if we let our thoughts get out of control. So we fill up that downtime with meaningless things to distract us from the pain we’re feeling. The problem is that we still feel empty, despite our best efforts to distract ourselves.

A month after we lost our son Titus, I sat down in front of my laptop at the dining room table. I had a bit of downtime before lunch to look at something. But as I powered my laptop on, something went wrong. It wouldn’t turn back on. I tried a few things to get it booting up again, but there was no success. I phoned my husband who works in IT.

“Have you tried turning it off and back on again?” I wasn’t certain if Leon was being cheeky, but at the moment, it wasn’t funny. At last, we determined the error code I got from my laptop told us the hard drive had died.

Ordinarily, this isn’t a big deal, but the day was already emotional. I spent that morning packing away all of Titus’s clothes. Some of his clothing still smelled like him, and it brought floods of tears and memories. Grief stormed in like a tidal wave and pivoted a good day into a bad one. Having the hard drive on my laptop die pushed me over the edge. I began learning a valuable lesson that day.

What do we turn to when we have downtime? Is it a hobby or social media? Do we find the latest film or series to watch on Netflix? When we go through a tough season or a grieving a loss, it’s tempting to escape the pain, and fill that empty time with something distracting. I’m not saying these distractions are bad. My broken laptop removed my distraction, forcing me to grieve and not avoid it.

Grief and feeling empty is an unfortunate part of life. This discomfort is unavoidable. You know this if you’ve suffered any kind of loss. It creeps up in the most unexpected ways, and we have to deal with it. It’s painful. We often try stuffing it down so we don’t have to work through it. Sometimes, God uses our downtime, even frustrations like a broken laptop, to address the issues we try to avoid within ourselves. He gives us an empty space in our day-to-day activities so He can bring healing to our hearts. When my laptop broke, I had to do other things instead of avoiding my grief over Titus’s death. I read books about grief, began processing our journey with Titus, cried, grieved, and worshipped. God opened my heart to letting Him work help me work through my pain. It was hard. But it was beautiful.

“Perhaps part of our fear comes from the fact that an empty place means that something may happen to us that we cannot predict, that is new, that leads us to a place we might not want to go. I might not want to hear what God has to say.

‘Here is the place for cultivating an open heart. Discipline is the concentrated effort to create some space in our lives where the Spirit of God can touch us, guide us, speak to us, and lead us to places that are unpredictable, where we are no longer in control.”

—Henri Nouwen, Turn my Mourning into Dancing

When we walk with the Lord, we have nothing to fear, including those empty places in our lives when we’re tempted to escape whatever it is we’re going through. We don’t need to fear the pain that will surface when we let the Lord help us work through our grief and pain.

Three years ago, we felt weary. It’s an emotion many felt as we embarked on our third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2021, the UK relaxed COVID restrictions even with a new variant, preventing a further lockdown. Even as restrictions lifted, we still felt tired and empty. We had just been through two years of lockdowns and restrictions, and we were grieving the losses we’d experienced during that season.

Being empty isn’t bad. The world was dark and empty before God created it. He filled the space with His creation. If God created the universe from nothing, what can He do with our emptiness? Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4 that God has already filled us with Himself through Jesus.

“Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body.”

2 Corinthians 4:7-10 (CSB)

If we allow Him, God willingly takes our emptiness and fills it with Himself. When His Son died on the cross, he poured himself out so that we may be filled with Him. What a beautiful picture.

“God sees the emptiness in your life as His greatest opportunity because God does His best work with empty as He fills it with Himself.”
—Nancy Guthrie, Even Better than Eden

If you’re here, and you’re hurting, is there an empty place for God to help you work through the pain? What or whom are you filling that empty place with? I pray you will allow Him to fill your emptiness with Himself.

Oh, and in case you were wondering about my laptop… Weeks later, Leon and I worked to restore my hard drive—to get my laptop ready to install a new one. We contacted Dell to get the ball rolling on replacing the hard drive (which was still under warranty). Miraculously, we didn’t need to. Miraculously, my laptop was working at its full capacity again—and I didn’t have any problems with it after that. God truly used that time to get me away from technology and grieve fully. It was a time to be truly grateful for.

One challenge I’ve set for myself this year is to tackle some books that are on my reading list (or have been on the list for too long. *ahem*). As I write this, we’re only two months into the year, but I have three books on this list either read or currently reading. The most recent one I finished was Deep Work by Cal Newport.

Newport’s book discusses how distractions, like social media, hinder meaningful work, emphasizing the importance of dedicated “deep work” time.

As I process this concept of deep work and what it might look like for a busy home educating mother of 4, I could feel discouraged. There are many people and things pulling on my time and attention; how can I possibly get some good, “deep” work in, whatever that may be? This couldn’t possibly work for me. Yet, maybe it can because deep work will look different as a mother than it will for others in more typical workplaces. My husband is a good example of this: he has this ability to tune out everything and everyone around him when he gets deep into work. The noise and chaos don’t bother him, and if it does, he goes somewhere else and sometimes locks the door. In contrast, I’m constantly interrupted by my children needing my attention every 15 minutes.

After learning about the theory of deep work, I started thinking about how it could look practically. To my surprise, I discovered that many daily rhythms already offer opportunities for deep work. This is might be a slightly unpopular opinion amongst some home educators, but we have set hours for school work. This helps us prioritize our learning and avoid scheduling conflicts. We’ve done this for a couple of years now, and it proves to work with a little flexibility. Our commitment to set school time limits us to outside school hours for appointments, but this keeps our time sacred. We don’t allow ourselves to be bombarded with too many other outside activities and appointments. I wish I could say that our sacred school time has protected us from all distractions, but that is not the case. Technology, despite how useful it is in our home education rhythms, still has a distraction we all battle.

There are other ways to carve out time for deep work. I’ve locked myself in my room to write this post, for example. Getting time alone and undistracted to think and process and write is invaluable. Using technology means some distractions remain, but helpful focus tools are available. Other places I’ve found for deep work are on my (occasional) walks alone and at the gym, if I’m intentional about my thoughts during those times. While walking, I often listen to a podcast or book to give myself something to think about; other times I don’t to listen to anything and let my mind wander to think and pray. My gym routine is similar, but it’s more difficult when I need to count reps, remember which side I just exercised, or add up how much weight I need to use—It’s still deep work.

Deep work is not for everyone. Not everyone wants to make the mental space to think and work deeply, and that’s ok. Some would rather be told what to do. Some would rather allow distractions to keep their minds off of whatever it is they’re going through (believe me, I’ve been there…). These things are ok in moderation, but I believe that we’ve lost the ability to think deeply over the years and thus, lost the ability to work deeply. The concept of deep work fits into all areas of life, not just productivity. It’s something I hope to explore throughout this year. Would you care to join me?

When many people first look at home educating their children, they may think, how will you cover Language Arts? What is the best writing or spelling programme for my children?

There are a lot of programmes out there that may suit your family’s needs, and if Charlotte Mason inspires your educational philosophy, you don’t necessarily need a traditional language arts programme. This is how we are implementing Miss Mason’s approach to Language Arts in our curriculum.

Mr. E is six, and in the very beginning stages of reading. He’s learning letter sounds and learning to recognise what words start with what letter. He’ll learn to read at his own pace.

Mr. A and Miss EJ read many of their own books independently now. Once my children become confident readers, they transition to reading more of their schoolbooks on their own. I confess I haven’t done the best job of this because I combine a few subjects to make things simpler for myself. Each term, I include an additional book for them to read independently. If a child needs to work independently but finds the book challenging, I let them listen to an audiobook and adjust the reading speed.

On the topic of reading schoolbooks, a Charlotte Mason education doesn’t use textbooks. Miss Mason says using books that present living ideas (often in a narrative format) are more effective in teaching than dry facts from a textbook. Children should only read from the best books of high literary quality and feed minds with ideas. I’ve always been picky about what literature our children read, but since finding Miss Mason’s philosophy, I’m even more picky about the books that will feed the minds of my children. I use books suggested in the Ambleside Online curriculum, but I also change nature study and add British History, along with US history (since we live in the UK).

Copywork and dictation are used instead of a handwriting, spelling and grammar programme. It seems obvious to me to start a young child with copywork by allowing them to trace one letter a day. Fine motor skills are still developing, so we don’t want to tire little hands with tedious copying of words and sentences until they’re ready. Just copywork is sufficient for the first few years. Spelling is often “caught” by reading over mum and dad’s shoulder, reading their own assignments, or through careful copywork. Around the age of 9 or 10, I start guiding our kids in paying attention to spelling in their copywork, and later I introduce dictation.

A lot of families will take a passage out of a book they’re reading to study for dictation. I never had success with choosing passages out of our books, so we use a specific dictation and grammar curriculum. My eldest studies the passage and practises any words he finds tricky; then I dictate the passage to him 2 or 3 words at a time while he writes it down. Afterward, he corrects his spelling and punctuation mistakes.

Grammar at this stage is simple as well. Because we read books rich in language, we catch a lot of grammar rather than being taught in the early years. I only teach basic punctuation and capitalization rules or assignment-specific grammar when introducing formal grammar lessons. Again, our grammar book lays out one concept for each lesson, but it could also be done with a passage from one of our schoolbooks.

Narration is one of the key tools to a Charlotte Mason education. At its basic level, narration is when the student tells back what he knows after a single reading. Narration solidifies what the student has learned from a book or activity. It helps the child to connect with what they read. Narration is used to introduce composition, first orally and then written.

There is a lot more that could be said about narration, but it’s an entire blog post (series?) that would need writing at a later time. Or you could just read this excellent book.

The Charlotte Mason approach to Language Arts provides a natural and effective way to teach reading, writing, and comprehension. By using rich literature and allowing children to form relationships with their readings, this method replaces the need for traditional programmes. It focuses on copywork, learning spelling and grammar through reading, and enhancing understanding through narration. I believe Charlotte Mason’s approach to language arts brings a greater depth and beauty to home education.

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, the need for a family getaway was long overdue. In September, we escaped to Devon for a family holiday. Leon started a demanding job a couple of weeks earlier, and we all needed to unwind. The pressures of his new role had been building, and a short escape to the landscapes of Devon was the perfect prescription for rejuvenation.

Our family recently recognised our value of the outdoors and decided to visit Dartmoor in Devon. Inspired by our latest family read-aloud, we planned our walk to Hound Tor, a place made famous by none other than the iconic detective, Sherlock Holmes. Our hike led us through heathlands, gorgeous vales, and towering rocky tors.

As we began our journey, we made frequent stops, allowing our children to clamber over the rocky terrain. We met each opportunity with excitement as they fearlessly scaled the heights and descended with equal excitement. Even our youngest, with fearless determination, scrambled as high as she could. Our walk was a perfect blend of thrilling scrambles and leisurely strolls, leaving all of us tired but happy by the end of the day. The peaceful night’s sleep that followed told of the day’s adventures.

One thing our family now does is sing songs while we walk. Our hymns and folk songs help make the long, boring bits a little more interesting and the challenging parts more bearable. We sang this hymn called The Rock that is Higher Than I on that day, and it was perfect for our adventures.

These outdoor adventures always paint a vivid picture of our unchanging relationship with the Lord. Life’s journey can often be dark and tempestuous, filled with moments of sorrow, but we have peace because we can cling to the Rock, finding refuge and strength. When life leaves us weary, the shadow of the Rock provides the sweet rest we desperately seek. Whether in times of blessing or sorrow, our faith keeps us anchored near the Rock.

In Devon, among the heaths and tors of Dartmoor, we found not only a rest from our routine but also fellowship with each other and the Lord. The beauty of the moors served as a reminder that in the midst of life’s trials and tribulations, we can always find peace in the presence of the eternal Rock.

In the fast-paced world we live in, it’s becoming increasingly common for us to fill every moment of downtime with our smartphones. Whether we’re waiting for a child’s swimming lessons to finish, taking the bus, or sitting at an event, we habitually reach for our pocket-sized screens. Technology has both positive and negative effects on our mental health and satisfaction. Why do we constantly check our phones? Why does it affect us so much? What new habits can we build in to replace the constant desire to check in?

About four months ago, I took a ‘stop the scroll challenge’ to break my habit of mindlessly scrolling on my phone. It hasn’t been a simple task to break away from my phone and social media habit, but four months in, I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned.

We live in a digital age. Smartphones are our constant companions, providing instant access to information, entertainment, and social connections. Having an endless, immediate source of information makes it difficult to resist checking our phones during moments of downtime. We feel a sense of urgency, fearing that we might miss out on something important or exciting.

During the 2020 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns, technology became useful. In a world where human interaction was severely limited, we found ourselves more connected than ever through social media and Zoom. Despite their ability to connect us, using our phones constantly can leave us feeling more alone than ever. God created us for community, and our desire to feel connected to something is real. Social media, emails, and Googling can’t provide real fulfilment. We use temporary virtual distractions instead of enjoying quiet moments and being present.

Cutting back on my phone and social media usage has had a positive effect on my mental health and well-being. Studies have shown that excessive screen time is linked to feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. The constant barrage of information and comparison on social media can lead to unrealistic expectations and a distorted perception of reality. The fact that our phones are addicting can leave us feeling disconnected from the world and the people around us.

So, I’ve talked about the unhealthy side effects of phone and social media usage. Just trying to stop our bad habits is an exercise in futility. In order to break a habit, we have to replace it with a new one. Creating healthier habits and alternative activities can help us break free from phone dependency and find genuine fulfilment in our free time.

1. Use moments of downtime as opportunities to be present and mindful. Observe your surroundings, engage in deep breathing, or pray and meditate on Scripture to calm your mind.

2. Instead of talking to your friends on social media, wait until you see them in person, make a phone call, or send an email (yes, email is more personal than Facebook). Such personal interactions are rewarding and foster meaningful connections.

3. Use downtime to indulge in hobbies or activities you enjoy. Whether it’s reading a book, knitting, or playing an instrument, these activities can provide a sense of fulfilment and joy. If I know I’ll have downtime while I’m out, I’ll take a book or knitting with me. When I’m at home, I pick up a project or book when I feel tempted to scroll.

4. When you use your phone, do so with intention. Limit social media scrolling and prioritize responding to important messages. Be mindful of your screen time and set boundaries to avoid mindless browsing. I recommend using an app to help with this—the “screen time” features that come pre-installed on your phone aren’t enough.

5. Put your phone to bed at night. Before you head to your bedroom, leave your phone in a designated place (not on your night stand). If you rely on your phone for an alarm, get a simple alarm clock.

6. Use your downtime to explore the outdoors. Nature has a way of reviving our spirits and providing a sense of peace and wonder. One of our family values is spending time outdoors, so this one is fairly easy as long as I use my time wisely to plan for time outdoors.

Our phones undoubtedly offer a wealth of information and entertainment, but they should not be the default response to every moment of downtime. To find joy and meaningful connections, we must be intentional about our phone usage and open ourselves up to the beauty of the present moment. By embracing quiet spaces, engaging in meaningful conversations, pursuing our passions, putting our phones to bed at night, and connecting with nature, we can break free from the allure of our smartphones and discover a more fulfilling and balanced life.

Who wants to reclaim our downtime and make the most of every precious moment with me?

In years past, we have schooled year round. We took a break after about every six weeks, taking longer breaks for holidays and Christmas. Last year was different—we went to the US on home assignment. When we arrived home, I fully intended to give us a week or two to start up lessons again. Then I realised how exhausted we were. We ended up taking a break for six weeks because we needed every one of those days to recover from the time we spent visiting with family, friends and supporters. When I say take a break, we even kept our calendar free of social engagements for a time. We were that tired.

Eventually, we fell into a restful rhythm. We had a read aloud. We went to the park. The big kids went to football camp at church. We saw a few friends. Reflecting on that period, I enjoyed having that downtime.

This year is a little different, but we still find ourselves ready for a break from our regular school rhythms. I use the word “rhythm” instead of “schedule” because the latter implies a strict routine for us, and that isn’t what we want. We want to avoid having a strict timetable, as it would prevent us from achieving our goals if we start late (i.e. if we don’t start Bible at 10:00, it wastes our entire day). With a rhythm, we have a certain flexible order in which we do things. When we’re done with breakfast, we move on to the next activity, and the flow of our day just keeps going as smoothly as it will be. We typically know what to expect next in our rhythms, but when we have something different come up in our day, our rhythm helps us return to normal.

• Recently, I discovered our breaks are the best time to work on things we rarely fit in to our daily school rhythms. We’ll make certain to include handcrafts, watercolours, and drawing this summer.
• The eldest two children will carry on their swimming lessons until the end of the summer. Leon and our eldest boy will carry on practicing their sailing skills.
• We’ll get outside as much as the great British summer allows us to.
• The children are into making YouTube videos and “podcasts” right now, so I’m certain there will be plenty of that too.
• I picked a read-aloud about our upcoming historical period—World War I.
• There will be time to see friends, too.

Our rhythms are a part of the habits we form throughout our days. Forming these rhythms requires effort, but it helps to establish expectations and maintain peace in the home. The things I said we’d do might look like a lot, but there’s still a lot of room for relaxing and making memories. Even during the summer weeks, this rhythm is important to have those smooth and easy days. At the start of our summer break, six weeks sounds like a long time, but I’m certain it will fly by. I hope your summer is smooth and easy, as well as fun and full of memories.

This month, I’d like to share three books that have deepened my reading journey. I’ve included one book I read, one I’m currently reading, and one greatly anticipated book that awaits me on my bookshelf. This selection includes an interesting blend of enthralling allegories, insightful educational philosophies, and engaging biblical study. It’s important to read a wide variety of books, so with that in mind, let’s take this literary journey together.

I’d love to know what you’ve been reading lately or what book you currently have your eyes on from your to-be-read shelf. Please share in the comments!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. I only linked to the books I recommend. Purchasing resources I recommend helps cover the cost of running this blog at no extra cost to you. Please see my Disclosure Policy for more information.

This year, 2023, is the centenary of Charlotte Mason’s death, and many are reflecting on the impact she had as a revolutionary educator. Her philosophy and life’s work continue to shape and influence countless families worldwide. Though she is no longer with us, her legacy lives on. As someone blessed to live near Ambleside, England, where the House of Education once stood, I consider it a privilege to be connected to her history. Recently, I visited the Armitt Museum in Ambleside with friends and explored an exhibit dedicated to Charlotte Mason, which highlighted her life’s story and the far-reaching impact of her work. It is through her teachings that a movement of home educators around the world has emerged, embracing her principles and inspiring parents to educate their own children.

At the beginning of the year, over a hundred Charlotte Mason inspired home educators gathered in Ambleside for the Centenary conference hosted by our nation-wide Charlotte Mason Conversations group. During this gathering, one project they encouraged us to take part in was to write a note to express our gratitude to Miss Mason for her work by sharing how her philosophy has affected our lives. I never had the time at the retreat to do so, so I thought I’d take the time to share some thoughts here, since Miss Mason influences our home education and life.

Though we’ve never had the chance to meet, I wanted to express how greatly your philosophy has affected our family and express my heartfelt gratitude for your work. Even a century later, your influence continues to make a significant difference.

Thank you for introducing me to the idea of “living books.” I’ve always preferred quality literature, but you gave a name to those special books that nourish our minds with powerful ideas.

You opened our eyes to the natural world around us. Our family values time outdoors, but we appreciate the importance of nature in a new way. Learning about the natural world is amazing and made us truly admire the incredible work of our Creator.

I am also grateful for your encouragement to embrace a gentle approach to early education. It’s so important to have an early childhood not focussed on academics and achievement. Thank you for showing me that no, my 3-year-old doesn’t need a child-sized environment to really thrive, but an environment where we live and learn together.

Thank you for emphasising the importance of good habits at home. Habits are hard to form or keep, but they help our homes run smoothly and set our children up for success in their future.

I’m thankful you reminded me my children are persons as well. They enter the world as fully formed human beings, and we must help them mould their wills and make them stronger. This idea revolutionized the way we view our children and made us reconsider our parenting techniques. You emphasized how God views our children (and us).

Thank you for caring for us as parents, too. One thing that is sometimes lacking among home educating families is support and ongoing education. Other home educators in the UK have formed a support network around your philosophy. I also take inspiration for my ongoing education from your mother’s education course.

Thank you barely says enough for your years of work around your philosophy of education. On behalf of my family and families everywhere, I want to thank you sincerely for giving us this beautiful way of life. We have truly seen that education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life.